


you lean left, I stay right

by scribespirare



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Anxiety, Boys Being Boys, But only a little, Commission fic, Established Relationship, Fluff, Guilt, Happy Ending, M/M, bad breath, by which i mean they eat random plants in the forest and swim in lakes, i guess?, the moral of the story here is dont eat weird plants in the woods, whale island
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:55:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25040497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribespirare/pseuds/scribespirare
Summary: A comedy in bad breath and past mistakes.
Relationships: Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck
Comments: 4
Kudos: 59





	you lean left, I stay right

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lov3well](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lov3well/gifts).



> Happy birthday, Emily! Cherish the person who bought u this b/c they're very sweet.

If there’s one thing Gon’s learned in life, it’s that you have to appreciate the little things. Take a moment to stop and smell the roses, to feel the sun on your skin, to just generally enjoy being alive and in good company.

Knowing that Killua has had too few chances to do exactly that, Gon makes an executive decision the moment they have free time. Things have died down after the chimera ants and all the craziness of the election (that Gon only heard about second hand, sadly). Additionally, his and Killua’s relationship has mended and sprouted off in a new, exciting direction, and Alluka is safe and sound in the hands of Bisky. She’s really the only one Gon and Killua both trusted enough to take over Alluka’s training when their own knowledge and skills had run out. But training doesn’t happen overnight and both Gon and Killua deserve a chance to get away and relax in the meantime.

So Gon drags them both to Whale Island. They stay with Mito for a few days first of course, reveling in her home cooking and the chance to be doted upon. But they’re out exploring the island before long, the exact same way Gon did when he was growing up. There’s something special about revisiting these places now when he’s older. Killua saw quite a few of them with him not that long ago, but now they hold hands as they jump off the cliff, kiss in the upper boughs of giant trees, and curl up together against the gentle chill of the night. It makes everything new and exciting, fresh.

They’re on their third day, hanging out on the bank of the river and soaking up sunshine, when Killua rolls lazily towards Gon. His feet are bare and hanging over into the chilled, rushing water. “How’d you do this when you were a kid?” he asks, voice just a murmur over the sound of the river.

Gon, arms behind his head, squints an eye open to glance at his boyfriend. “What do you mean?”

“When you were really little,” Killua explains, pillowing his chin on his arms. His expression is open and curious. “You couldn’t have _always_ been some weird little feral forest creature.”

That catches Gon by surprise and he throws his head back with a laugh. “I guess not,” he admits once he’s calmed down. “I dunno, I just grew up here you know? It’s all trial and error. If you run into enough animals, you’ll know what’s dangerous and what isn’t. Same with food. Eat enough random grass, berries, and roots, and you’ll eventually know what makes you sick and what’s actually good for you.”

Killua’s brow furrows, one corner of his mouth tugging up. “How are you not dead?”

Gon laughs again. “If you watch the animals you can figure out what’s poisonous, so I never ate anything that could actually kill me. Well, not until later anyways.”

There’s a brief moment of silence and then Killua groans and rolls over onto his back, tossing his arm over his eyes dramatically. “Let me guess, you just wanted to know what they tasted like.”

He hit the nail on the head but Gon doesn’t feel sheepish in the slightest. “Yup!”

“Of course,” is all his boyfriend says, and then they fall back into a comfortable silence there on the bank. They nap for a little while, until the sun hits its peak and Killua’s skin is in danger of burning. Then they wander back under the canopy to cool off in the shadows, wandering idly among the towering trees and the rustling, singing, chirping sounds of nature.

“Is this edible?” Killua asks after a time, pointing at a leafy green herb that Gon recognizes immediately. Which isn’t saying much, he could list off the names of most of the plants in his view.

“Yeah, but not raw. It’s better in soups and stuff,” he replies.

His boyfriend blinks. “You really know all of these off the top of your head?”

Gon just grins at him, bumping their shoulders together as they walk to make Killua stumble. Which he does, though it;s more for show than Gon actually using that much force. “What part of ‘feral forest creature’ are you not getting?”

Blue eyes narrow and Killua’s mouth pulls up at one corner. “Alright, smart guy. Let’s play a game.”

Gon lights up immediately. “What kind?”

“I bet that you can’t name every single plant that I point out in the next ten minutes.”

“Oh, you’re _so_ on. What do I win if I get them right?”

Killua hums lightly, holding his hand to his chin in faux contemplation, but his eyes are still sparkling with amusement and the curve of his mouth says he knows exactly what terms he wants to set. “How about I just say that you’re going to like it? A lot.”

Gon considers these terms for a moment, then decides he never minds a surprise where Killua is concerned. He doesn’t even bother to ask about what happens if he loses, because he knows he won’t. “Deal.”

They pause in their stroll, Killua glancing around at the vegetation all around them. Then he picks a direction at random and starts jogging, Gon quick to catch up to him, mimicking his pace and following along behind him. Killua points out different plants as they go, and Gon dutifully lists off their common names and uses. If he mentions they’re edible or have a particular taste, Killua will break off a leaf to chew just to check. Mostly though they run through the woods laughing and teasing each other, Killua trying unsuccessfully to stump Gon.

“Okay, okay, okay!” Killua finally relents, bending at the waist and resting his hands on his knees so he can catch his breath. “So maybe you _do_ know every stupid plant in the forest.”

Finally. It’s definitely been longer than ten minutes by this point, but Gon was having so much fun that he didn’t want to say anything.

Gon strikes a ridiculous pose with his hands on his hips and his chest puffed out. “Of course I do!” It makes Killua burst into a new round of laughter, just like Gon had hoped it would. It’s so good to see Killua happy and relaxed like this.

Once his laughter has subsided, Killua eyes Gon for a moment, clearly up to something. Then he grabs a random handful of grass and shoves it under Gon’s nose, demanding, “Name it! Winner takes all.”

Gon goes cross eyed trying to see the long, dark green blades before he finally leans back far enough. His boyfriend has actually managed to grab a couple different types, so he lists them off as best he can. “Well, that one is crab grass again, the leafier stuff is swamp weed, which means we must be getting close to the river again, and the darker blades are actually an herb called honeytrickle. It’s super sweet.”

“Really?” Completely trusting, Killua extracts one length of the honeytrickle and pops it into his mouth. His expression screws up a moment later as he chews and it takes visible effort for him to swallow. “Eugh. What the heck, that was awful.”

Gon’s brow furrows in confusion and he plucks the stems from Killua’s grasp. “It shouldn’t have been. They’re always super sweet.” He brings the bundle up close to his face to give it a sniff and then recoils immediately. Whatever the plant is, it is _not_ honeytrickle. “Oh, you weren’t kidding, damn. And you _ate_ that!?”

“Only because you told me it was okay!” Killua protests. “Guess you’re not as knowledgeable as you thought.”

Dropping the bundle, Gon shakes the last bits of green out of his hand, nose still wrinkled. “Guess not. I suppose that means you win the bet then. I wonder if it’s a new specious, maybe something nonnative that got brought over on a ship? It has to be pretty hearty to make it this far inland though.” 

Killua’s huffs and gives him an incredulous look. “Hey, no rambling, I won, remember? And I want to collect my prize.” The expression on his face slips into something more devious, eyes bright and sparkling. “Get over here, you owe me double for making me eat that shit.”

Gon nearly trips over himself in his scramble to close the distance between them, their mouths meeting with laughter still slipping out between them. Gon briefly tastes the nasty herb on Killua’s tongue, but it’s lost quickly under their own natural flavors. 

Hours later, long after the sun has started to push its way towards the horizon, they look for a new place to sleep for the night. Since the weather is holding they head back to the clifftop they’d camped out on so long ago. They catch and cook their dinner and continue to just generally enjoy each other’s company in a way they haven’t truly been able to since before...well, everything. 

“I think we should head back to Mito’s in a few days,” Gon says once they’re laid out on the grass side by side.

Killua doesn’t glance away from the sky spread out above them. “Okay. Any particular reason?”

It’s not really physically possible to shrug while laying down so Gon doesn’t. But he does roll his head towards his boyfriend, enjoying the way the contrast of the dark sky and flickering firelight sharpen his features. He’s always been really pretty in Gon’s opinion but he’s especially beautiful now. “Not really. I’d just like to spend more time with Aunt Mito. I think she’s still adjusting to us being together.”

That earns him a snort, and Killua turns towards him. “Gon, Mito gave me _the talk_ before I ever even realized I was in love with you. She’s fine with us. She’s probably still upset over you _almost dying_. That’s a little bit bigger than us dating, which everyone apparently knew was inevitable.” 

Realization dawns on Gon. “Oh. Yeah, I guess that’d make sense.”

“Of course it does, idiot,” Killua says with a roll of his eyes, but his tone is affectionate and he wriggles closer to Gon to press a kiss to his lips.

They fall asleep like that, curled up together under the velvet night sky.

Gon is almost always the first to wake up in the morning, but Killua’s years of training make it nigh impossible for Gon to sneak away without his boyfriend waking up. If Killua minds being woken up so early he’s never complained about it before, and this morning is no exception. He smiles sleepily at Gon, making everything in Gon feel warm and gooey, before leaning in for a kiss. Gon goes to meet him gladly, laughing a little at the “Mornin’” that’s pressed against his mouth.

Then he has to try not to gag. He pulls back, blinking in confusion at a still smiling Killua. Is that…is that his _breath_? It’s absolutely vile. Like something curled up on Killua’s tongue as he slept and then died.

“Morning breath much?” Gon asks, laughing a little. Killua blinks at him and then rolls both his eyes and away.

“Rude much? I guess we can gargle river water or whatever it is you do to keep up hygiene out here.” He stands and shakes the last of sleep from his limbs, stretching away any cricks that formed from sleeping on the ground. 

“Uh, definitely don’t do that,” Gon replies, hopping up as well. “We can find some clean water to wash up in. Using random river water will probably just make it worse.” 

Their morning decided, they set out for a pool that Gon knows of that’s not too far away. They pick berries as they go and eat those for breakfast, though Killua complains that they’re not filling enough. Gon throws berries at him until there are purple streaks all down his face and Killua tackles him into the underbrush in revenge. 

The pool ends up taking most of their afternoon once they reach it, as they play around in the cool, fresh water, and invent some new interesting versions of their favorite games. They even find a huge rock that they drag close to the shore that’s perfect for diving off of. 

Although, as they play, Gon can’t help but notice every time they get close that Killua’s breath is still awful. It actually seems to get worse throughout the day, despite Killua washing his mouth out first thing when they got there.

Maybe he’s sick? Mito used to say that bad breath could be a sign of an upset stomach. But whenever Gon very casually tries to ask about it, Killua gives him a weird look and says he’s fine.

Maybe he’s fine and it’s just persistent morning breath that’ll go away in a while. But then again…this is Killua. The same guy who turned a taser on himself without an ounce of hesitation and regularly throws himself face first into danger. He probably won’t be complaining of pain on his actual death bed, so of course he wouldn’t even notice something as trivial as an upset stomach. Hell, he eats so much chocolate sometimes that he probably thinks it's normal.

So Gon puts together a plan. It’ll take a lot of effort to pull off, but honestly he can’t take much more of that awful smell. Every time Killua leans in for a kiss Gon has to fight off a wave of nausea. How does Killua not notice that? His mouth has to taste like actual death. Maybe being sick is affecting his sense of taste too? 

It feels a little silly to be worrying over his boyfriend being sick when Killua is fine all day long, but worry Gon does. 

The plan doesn’t go into effect until late that night after they’ve beaded down. Gon picks a place that’s near the edge of the forest, to make his job that much easier, and Killua doesn’t question it. An hour or two after Killua has fallen asleep, Gon slowly begins the arduous process of sneaking away from his hyper-aware boyfriend. It involves moving only a little bit at a time for over an hour, edging further and further away until Gon’s finally able to get to his feet and sneak away properly.

The whole ordeal feels very gross and slimy, but Gon continues to remind himself that this is for Killua’s benefit. His own good. 

Once he’s a safe distance away, Gon makes his way into town. Everything is closed down for the night, but Gon knows the streets and the people here like the back of his hand. He finds the pharmacy he’s looking for and then the key to the front door just under the potted plant where it’s always kept. Mr. Burmi leaves it there specifically for late night emergencies that can’t wait until morning. So long as the person locks up after themselves and leaves payment on the front counter, Mr. Burmi doesn’t mind at all.

Gon lets himself in and spends a moment scanning the shelves in the dark. Usually he’s more of a natural remedy guy, but there’s nothing he knows off the top of his head that would help with this. So he travels up and down the aisle, looking at different bottles and boxes and debating their merits. He ends up deciding on something bright pink and hopefully sweet enough that Killua won’t completely hate it. The label says it’s supposed to help with upset stomachs and all symptoms related to it, including bad breath. Gon’s still not really sure how he’s going to give it to Killua and get him to drink it, but, well...he’ll burn that bridge when he gets to it. Hopefully his boyfriend won’t be _too_ angry with him. After all, he’s going to have to fess up about sneaking away in the middle of the night. 

By the time Gon has paid for the medicine and left again, the sky is just barely starting to lighten. The sun hasn’t appeared yet but it won’t be long before it does, and Gon puts an extra burst of speed on so he can make it back before Killua awakes. Damn, he’d hoped he would be faster than that. 

The moment he hits the treeline he knows something is amiss. The forest is quiet, too quiet for the time of morning when all the animals should be waking up. There’s no breeze to stir the foliage overhead, and without any birdsong, rodent chattering, or the buzzing of insects, the forest is eerily quiet. 

Gon slows his pace and extends his senses as far as he can, scanning the trees and underbrush as he gradually makes his way through it. He’s careful to pick his feet up more than usual, and sets them down carefully, to ensure that the noise of his footsteps won’t give him away. He should have the advantage here, considering how well he knows the forest. But evidently that’s not enough to save him. 

There’s a prickle of awareness on the back of Gon’s neck, all his hair standing on end at once, and he’s only just barely able to turn and meet the blue and white figure that bowls into him head on.

They come to a skidding stop in a tangle of limbs and clothing twenty yards away, Killua’s blue eyes narrowed and his breath coming in angry pants.

“ _What. The. Hell,”_ he hisses.

Gon winces, more from that expression than their none-too-graceful landing. And also from the full force of Killua’s breath coming at him from less than an inch away, hot on his face and invading all of his senses. He has to swallow hard and carefully breathe through his mouth instead of his nose. It still only does so much, as the stench seems to cling to his tongue as well. Nasty, disgusting, vile; words he never wants to associate with the person he’s in love. Still breathing through his mouth is better than nothing. 

“I can explain,” Gon says, holding his hands up in surrender. His voice comes out slightly nasally thanks to the way he’s forcing air through his mouth. If he could he’d pinch his nose shut too but that might be taking it a bit too far.

“You better,” Killua replies, his eyes promising violence if Gon doesn’t. “Do you know how scary it was to wake up and find you completely gone? After everything that’s happened?” His eyes narrow further, and the next words are hissed through clenched teeth, “Gon, if I find out you went somewhere to fight Hisoka or Illumi or _anybody_ on your own...” The threat is left unsaid but it’s obvious enough.

“No, no! Nothing like that!” Gon is quick to reassure. Then he wriggles around, this time wincing from the stick that’s digging into his spine. “Um, can you let me up?” Please, he can’t take much more of that foul stench right in his face. 

Killua stands without a word, not offering a hand to pull Gon up like he usually would. A good sign that he’s _pissed_. 

Gon climbs to his feet slowly, feeling sheepish and all too guilty. How worried must Killua be if he really thought someone came all the way out to Whale Island just to attack them?

“Okay, so, I went to town,” Gon starts, and then holds up his little plastic baggie with the medicine inside it as proof. “To get this.”

Still completely silent, Killua holds out a hand, demanding the bag. Gon passes it over reluctantly and watches as Killua digs the little plastic bottle out. He spends a moment reading the label, mouth twisting slightly.

“You snuck out in the middle of the night because your stomach hurts?” he finally asks, completely deadpan. Like he can’t believe Gon’s stupidity. 

“No. Uh.” Gon fidgets, uncharacteristically nervous. It’s hard not to be under that accusing stare though, the shar blue eyes and pinched lips. It’s only a few expressions away from the one Killua aims at his opponents he really hates. “It’s just…I thought maybe you needed it.”

“Me?” Killua blinks, processing, then scowls again. “This is about my stupid bad breath again isn’t it?”

“...Yeah.”

Killua throws his hands up and paces away a few steps. There’s a faint flush rising to his cheeks, but Gon wisely chooses not to comment. “You scare the ever loving shit out of me for some _bad breath!?_ Gon, I love you, but you’re going to be the fucking death of me.”

“I was worried!” Gon tries to defend, though he knows it's a weak defence.

“Then tell me next time! Don’t just sneak off in the middle of the night!”

There’s a brief stretch of silence between them, Gon biting his lower lip and still feeling guilty, and Killua visibly trying to wrangle his anger in. Finally, Gon breaks it with a quiet but genuine, “I’m sorry, Killua. I didn’t think about what would happen if you woke up. I’m really sorry.” He pauses, still fidgeting before deciding to go all in. “Um. Will you take the medicine? Please.” The _your breath still really, really stinks_ goes unsaid between them. 

Killua eyes him. “Whatever, fine, though I really shouldn’t just to teach you a lesson. Apology not accepted yet either, by the way. Especially since I’m ninety percent certain that stupid plant you told me was okay to eat is the cause of all this.”

The plant? Gon casts his mind back, and then gasps once he remembers it. Just like Killua’s breath, it had also smelled foul! Although Killua’s breath is, unfortunately, much worse, the scents _are_ fairly similar. “Oh,” he breathes.

Killua snorts loudly and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, _oh_.” With a shake of his head he uncaps the bottle still in his hand and downs it in one go. Gon is pretty sure that’s not the recommended dosage, but also Killua is immune to most poisons so the likelihood of it hurting him is pretty low. Also Gon’s not about to voice any complaints when Killua already doesn’t want to take it in the first place. Killua makes a disgusted face once he’s done and pockets the empty bottle and the plastic bag to throw away later.

“There, you happy?”

“Not really,” Gon admits. “I still feel really horrible.”

“Good, you should.”

“What can I do to make it up to you?” Gon asks hopefully.

His boyfriend eyes him for a moment, still stern, then sighs. “Let’s start by going back to Mito’s. I think I’ve had my fill of nature for a while.”

That makes Gon perk up. “Okay! We can play video games and I’ll let you beat me at all of them!”

“ _Let?_ ” Killua hisses, though his voice sounds less angry now and more teasing.

“Yeah! Oh, _and_ I’ll give you all the best portions at dinner, and the biggest!”

That actually earns him a small laugh. “Okay, you’re on the right track now. Keep going. As a word of warning though, I am _not_ sharing the bed with you for, oh, say...a week? Yeah, that seems good. After a week I’ll decide how I’m feeling.”

If that’s the extent of Gon’s punishment, he’ll take it gladly. 

As they start to head back to Mito’s house, Gon continues his tirade of increasingly ridiculous gifts, starting small and reasonable with promises of a massage, and expanding into stealing precious gemstones and even a mile high chocolate fountain, complete with swimming pools. The banter eases the tension between them and helps ease some of Gon’s guilt, and Killua slowly starts to allow some space between them as they travel. Like he’s starting to trust that Gon won’t just run off again at the drop of a hat.

And yeah, Gon’s not off the hook by any means, he knows, but it’s a start. 


End file.
